25 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 360. 



was set in a large pot last spring; and planted in the border, 

 where it flowered as usual. After some hard freezing it 

 was brought in and slowly started, and it is now a strong- 

 looking plant, grown in a cool temperature and read}' to be 

 hurried on to what promises to be a successful blooming. 

 It is doubtful whether the flowers will be worth the trouble 

 of producing them, but they may be useful when cut to 

 arrange with other flowers of strong colors. There are so 

 many plants which can only be flowered under glass in this 

 climate, that it seems hardly worth while to select those 

 which will flower as well or better in the open air if they 

 are only left alone. 



Cultural Department. 



Notes on Carnations. 



IF cuttings of the varieties of Carnations to be grown for 

 summer blooming outdoors have not already been set, 

 no time should be lost in getting them in. Some growers lift 

 old plants fron their benches ami plant outside, and thus ob- 

 tain a moderate supply of small early blooms, but the plants 

 are always rather unsightly, and so much finer flowers are 

 produced from cuttings rooted in December or January that 

 old plants are best consigned to the rubbish pile. Compara- 

 tively few varieties flower satisfactorily outdoors. Among; the 

 white kinds, Mrs. Fisher does well, and easily leads all others 

 foroutside culture ; Noliscot, as a scarlet, does remarkably well 

 here; Hector blooms very freely, V)ut tlie flowers burn tsadly. 

 We have not yet found a thoroughly satisfactory pink variety, 

 William Scott being the best we have tested. Ferdinand IVIan- 

 gold gives a fair supply of crimson flowers. Among yellows, 

 we have not been able to obtain good results from any variety 

 yet tried. 



Many Carnations are utterly ruined in the early stages of 

 their existence by being propagated in too strong a bottom- 

 heat ; weak, spindling plants are always ihe results of such 

 propagation. An even bottom-heat of sixty degrees and a top- 

 lieat of fifty to fifty-five degrees we consider the best. If a 

 propagating bed with such a temperature is not at command 

 the cuttings will root well in a well-drained box of sand placed 

 on the shelf of an ordinary greenhouse. The cuttings must 

 never be allowed to get at all dry; a sprinkling overhead 

 should be given daily, and-a thorough soaking every third or 

 fourth day. With proper care ninety per cent, of the inserted 

 cuttings should take root. Some kinds root much more 

 quickiy than ottiers. Mrs. Fisher, Nicholson, Nobscot, Ada 

 Byron and some others are fit to pot or box off in about a 

 month from the time they are inserted, while F. Mangold and 

 some of the yellow varieties require a much longer time. 



For winter-blooming plants we consider February early 

 enough to put in cuttings, except of such delicate growers as 

 Lizzie McGowan. In taking a tour round some Carnation 

 establishments of late, we noticed thousands of cuttinsjs rooted 

 in the cutting-benches and quantities boxed off. We found 

 that the sjrowers in every case had raised this stock for sale ; 

 their own stock of cuttings would be got in later. Of course, 

 it is perfectly natural for trade-growers to commence propa- 

 gating as early as possible and sell all the stock they can. but 

 we do not believe tliat plants grown from cuttings inserted in 

 November, Decemlier or the first lialf of January are as good 

 as those raised later in the season. Allowing that the plants 

 are already rooted and ready to box off, some four months 

 must elapse before they can be planted outside (at least in this 

 section), and whether in pots or boxes, this is far too lona; a 

 period tor the young plants to have their roofs cramped. The 

 idea often is that as large plants as possible should be grown 

 by lifting-time in the fall, but medium-sized ones are much 

 better to handle, tie Lip, and clean, and give furthermore fully 

 as fine blooms and as many of them as the larger ones, in pro- 

 portion to the space they occupy. 



Plants in the benches should now be gone over, untied and 

 cleaned. It pays to do this at least twice in the season. In 

 cleaning them we remove all dead and decaying leaves, and 

 also the weak and spindling growths. These growths are best 

 removed ; they give but poor flowers, and their removal gives 

 the remaining; shoots a better chance. Care ought to be taken 

 not to tie up the plants too tightly, this spoils many of the 

 young growtlis. Some growers do not stake or clean their 

 plants at all, and we have seen very good flowers on such 

 plants until spring, when the superiority of those cleaned and 

 staked is apparent to the merest novice. With increasing sun- 

 light the benches will now require rather more frequent water- 

 ings, and slightly strongerliquid stimulants can safely be given. 



A surface-dressing of wood ashes or some chemical fertilizer, 

 alternated with a watering of liquid-manure or sulphate of 

 ammonia of moderate strength, every ten days or fortnight, 

 will be found very helpful. If good flowers are desired, dis- 

 budding sUould be practiced. This may not be a profitable 

 thing for trade-growers, but it pays in a private establishment 

 where quality is the first requisite. The operation ought to 

 be performed as soon as the buds can be handled. 



Among pink Carnations this season William Scott takes the 

 lead ; it gives twice as many flowers as any other pink variety, 

 and seems destined to entirely supersede that worthy old 

 favorite, Grace Wilder. This variety has a good stem and 

 good-sized flower, with a strong calyx ; its lack of odor is its 

 only drawback. Madame Diaz Albertini has a remarkably 

 strong stem, the stoutest of any pink-Howering sort we have 

 grown. Its flowers are of large size and of a delicate flesh- 

 pink color, with a strong calyx and a delightful odor. The 

 flowers hold well on the plants, which, however, do not bloom 

 so freely as some other kinds. Nicholson gives us the largest 

 flowers of any pink variety ; its bright color and fragrance have 

 made it very popular in the Boston market ; it needs a 

 stronger stem, however. Ada Byron has the finest odor of 

 any Carnation we grow ; the flower is of good size and beauti- 

 fully fringed ; the plant is of a very vigorous growth, but is a 

 poor winter bloomer. Daybreak still retains its great popu- 

 larity ; with some it rusts badly, but with others it is this sea- 

 son doing remarkably well. Among scarlets, Hector is still 

 the best we have ; Portia produces more flowers, but they are 

 not over half the size of the other variety. The Stuart has the 

 ideal stem for a Carnation, and is of a good scarlet shade ; it is 

 not so good a flower as Hector, however, and blooms less 

 freely. F. Mangold still holds the lead among crimsons. 

 Lizzie McGowan proves itself the most reliable white ; it does 

 not produce so many flowers as Mrs. Fisher, but they are of a 

 purer white color ; its stem is better, and it seldom bursts the 

 calyx. Helen Keller seems destined to be a very popular kind, 

 but the plants make rather poor growth ; it is the best fancy 

 kind at present on the market. Bouton d'Or, from what we 

 have seen of it, is likely to prove a very popular yellow ; the 

 flower is of good size, deep canary-yellow in color, slightly 

 flaked and bordered with carmine ; it makes good growth, has 

 a strong calyx, and is, so far, perfectly healthy. Goldfinch, one 

 of Mr. Dorner's introductions, is also a fairly good yellow, 

 which blooms freely ; the flowers, however, are much smaller 

 than those of Bouton d'Or, and it is hardly worth growing 

 where the other kind will succeed. ,, _ 



Taunlun. Mass. W. N. Craig. 



CARNATIONS generally, in the neighborhood of Boston, 

 never looked better, and the prospects are that growers 

 hereabouts will make a first-rate display at the forthcoming 

 exhibition of the Carnation Society in Boston next February. 

 Mr. Nicholson, of Framinghanr, has his William Nicholson and 

 Ada Byron in excellent condition, and they fully maintain in 

 the market and everywhere the reputation they made last sea- 

 son. Some very promising new varieties are also on trial. 

 Mr. Fisher and Mr. Nicholson will show some new scarlets, 

 whites and crimsons, now under number; Mr. Tailby, some 

 yellows, notably Henrietta Sargent, a good pink and a 

 white. The Messrs. Jaune Brothers, of New IJedford, and 

 Mr. Denys Zirngiebel, of Needham, have some fancy varieties 

 which they expect will win favor. 



Some rust showed in one or two places this season, but is 

 disappearing with the lengthening days. With regard to this 

 disease, growers agree that cleanliness islhe best prevention 

 and remedy. All admit the efficacy of sulphur compounds, 

 and use them, but experience proves that when once the 

 plants are badly affected this treatment is of little apparent 

 benefit. In a visit to a number of growers of Carnations, I 

 found the disease to be worst where the plants were wettest. 

 It is natural to suppose that a lack of root-action and the con- 

 sequent lessened elimination of moisture will encourage the 

 spread of disease. One grower attributed the poor condition 

 of his plants to overwatering, I, myself, should add, overfeed- 

 ing, in the earlier stages. The finest plants I have seen have 

 not yet had any stimulants, but with increased sun-power some 

 fertilizers will be given. The best success is had with plants 

 which are kept dry rather than wet, but it is evident that wliere 

 the root-action is good the plants will quickly become dry. 



On the question of soils there is one opinion, and that is, 

 that light soils are best for nearly all varieties. Lime is essen- 

 tial in some form, ft is an ingredient of nearly ail soils, and 

 thus it is only especially necessary to apply it on heavy soils, 

 and it is generally found in sufficient quantity in all barnyard 

 manures. 1 was surprised to learn, however, that one grower 

 had failed with William Scott, which almost everywhere has 



